'In the zone': NCHS, McNeese star Burton did everything to win in career cut short

Jan. 14, 2013

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The date was Oct. 21, 2000, and the McNeese State running back once again was looking to dazzle the crowd at Turpin Stadium, the same field where he once starred for Natchitoches Central High School. Burton already had returned home for a game against Northwestern State in 1998, but that didn't stop dozens of family and friends from packing the stands for the hometown hero.

That celebration abruptly came to an end when late in the first quarter of the Cowboys' 37-34 loss to the Demons, Burton was brought down awkwardly by a NSU defender. At first, Burton didn't think the left knee injury was severe because he only felt some minor tingling in his leg.

He even told the coaching staff that he just needed to take one play off and he would be ready to take the field again.

But Burton quickly realized that was not going to happen as his leg suddenly felt like it was opening up like a book. He had suffered tears to his medial collateral and anterior cruciate. His spectacular football career was over as quickly as one of his trademark cutback running moves.

As he sat, slumped on the McNeese bench, Burton was overcome, even shedding a few tears. In that moment of sorrow, Burton heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"My mom was standing over the rails at the stadium," remembered Burton, who has been voted as The Town Talk's No. 9 greatest high school player in Central Louisiana over the past 25 years. "She asked what was wrong. I told her that I didn't think I could play anymore. That's when she told me, 'You need to stop crying because we got a game to win.' So I wiped away that tear and got busy cheering."

A rising star

There was plenty of cheering when Burton took the field for NCHS in the mid 1990s. After an injury to senior running back Rodney Beaudion early in the 1995 season, Burton was thrust into the spotlight.

"What I remember most about it is that I thought I just got to keep things afloat until Rodney comes back," said Burton. "I just have to do whatever I can do until Rodney comes back. Everybody had to raise their level of play, including me."

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After a few early miscues, Burton finally settled into his role as the Chiefs feature back.

"I fumbled my first two carries of my first start," said Burton, who was named district MVP that season. "Coach (J.D.) Garrett pulled me aside and he told me that he was going to have sit me down if I didn't get a handle on things. My next three touches were touchdowns."

Burton found the end zone frequently that season as he scored 34 total touchdowns, rushed for 1,870 yards and earned all-state honors as the Chiefs reached the Class 5A state semifinals. Burton is quick to share the credit of his success with his teammates.

"We had a great offensive line that season, and those guys deserve a lot of the credit," said Burton, who had his No. 21 jersey retired in 2011. "In football, every play is designed to score, and if the 10 other guys do their job then it makes it easy for me to do my job."

"He was always a team player," said former NCHS quarterback Kendrick Llorens, who went on to play defensive back at NSU. "He played offense, defense and special teams for us. He did whatever was needed for us to win."

Burton was even more impressive as a senior when he rushed for 2,479 yards and 34 touchdowns, caught 21 passes for 385 yards and 3 touchdowns. Burton's best game was his last, when he rushed for 331 yards in a 13-6 playoff loss to eventual state champion West Monroe.

"It was one of those games when you look back you can say you were in the zone," said Burton, who shared district MVP honors in 1996 with future NFL wide receiver Arnaz Battle of Byrd. "Before that game when we were getting ready to run out, I remember telling Coach (Mike) Cieslak that I was going to make him proud tonight."

That level of play got the attention of college programs from across the country "” Texas A&M, Cincinnati, ULM (then known as Northeast), NSU and McNeese State. It also grabbed the attention of a future teammate and close friend, Brad Archie.

"The Louisiana High School All-Star Football Game was my first taste of Jessie Burton," said former Northshore star Archie, who was part of the same McNeese State recruiting class as Burton. "I didn't know who he was until that game, but he stood out even with players like Ed Reed and Reggie Wayne being there."

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Bursting onto scene

After being redshirted during McNeese's national runner-up season of 1997, Burton was a borderline phenom in his first full season playing for the Cowboys. He rushed for 1,162 yards and set a single-season school record of 18 touchdowns, including seven against Southern Utah, tying a Division I-AA record which stills stands today.

"There was a play that happened during two-a-days that sums up what Jessie was as a player," said Archie, a linebacker and Burton's McNeese roommate. "He came through the hole and I gave him everything I had, and I thought that I had laid him out. He just popped right up, told me that it was a great hit and then tapped the top of my helmet."

Burton finished the 1998 season ranked fifth in the nation in scoring, earned All-Southland Conference first-team honors, including being named Freshman of the Year, and was even mentioned in Sports Illustrated.

Yet, Burton's fondest memory from that record-breaking season was not the accolades or touchdown celebrations. Instead, his favorite moments came from playing in the backfield with a Louisiana legend.

"The one thing I never forgot about that is when Cecil (Collins) came there," said Burton of the former Leesville High star who played at McNeese for two games that season. "The things I learned from him that year are what helped propel me that season. It helped me learn the playbook better because I was helping him learn the playbook. Plus, it took me out of the spotlight because Cecil was there and that allowed me to concentrate on football."

The following season, Burton was hindered by a rash of injuries, including spraining his knee, pulling his hamstring and having a benign cyst on his shoulder removed. He rushed for only 721 yards and four touchdowns as the Cowboys went a disappointing 6-5.

Burton appeared to have bounced back in 2000, as he showed the promise he had during his sophomore season. In the season opener against eventual Sugar Bowl champion University of Miami, he rushed for 76 yards and scored a 23-yard touchdown. He kept that momentum going heading into the NSU game as he was leading the team with 754 yards and eight touchdowns.

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"I was coming in for the tackle," said Llorens. "Then I saw his whole body turn one way, except for that one leg. As soon as it happened I looked at the sideline and hollered to someone to help him. It was heartbreaking."

"It was very unfortunate," said Archie. "I mean, without doubt, he had everything he needed to be a pro. I believe that he would have had a great shot of playing in the NFL."

A new career path

Despite the severity of the injury, Burton still had an opportunity to return to the football field. He diligently dedicated himself to rehab and was actually cleared to play during the following summer. Unfortunately, he was forced to have surgery on his other knee, which caused him to miss the entire 2001 season.

Burton still had a year of eligibility available, but being so close to graduation, he was at a crossroad and had to make a decision about his future.

"I loved football but I knew that it wasn't my life," he said. "After it was done, I simply accepted it. I was more concerned if I was going to walk. How I was going to be in 20 years. I asked myself if I really wanted to risk it and if I wanted to sacrifice playing with my kids down the road."

After having his playing career cut short, it appeared as if Burton was on the fast track of becoming a high school football coach. He spent his senior season as a student-assistant and then was graduate assistant at NSU for the 2002 season. Burton followed that coaching running backs at Many High School in 2003 and as assistant coach at Alexandria Senior High in 2004.

Burton, though, came to the realization that coaching was not something he wanted to pursue. Instead, he wanted to challenge himself with a career outside of football and preferably in a new location. So in 2005, Burton and some of his family relocated to the Houston area, and he started over. At first, he sold Yellow Pages, which led to a banking job. That led to his current position as project manager for an oil company.

"I never had a chance to get out of Louisiana, and I just wanted to take the opportunity when I was young," said Burton, who graduated from McNeese with a degree in marketing. "I wanted to see if there was something else out there for me, something that I would have a drive and passion about besides football and, you know what, I found it."